OK, I know. I already have 2 very similar broccoli salad recipes on this site. That’s because I REALLY LOVE BROCCOLI SALAD! But the one I served yesterday for our JazzVox pre-concert meal was even more spectacular than my other recipes. (Sorry guys, but the truth shall set me free!) I think it was the use of apple cider vinegar rather than another type of vinegar, and the addition of dried cranberries that made this version so amazing. Also, the fact that I made it the day before and let it sit overnight in the fridge. This I learned from Holly, creator of the spendwithpennies.com cooking blog. (A fabulous site BTW. You simply must check it out!) So, this is basically Holly’s recipe with a couple of minor ingredient amount changes of mine.

And I must say, this salad literally disappeared yesterday. One moment there was still some left in the bowl. The next time I looked, it was all gone. It might have been because of all the bacon. But I am choosing to believe that people are finally realizing that broccoli is an excellent source of vitamins C, K, and A. And that it also contains several important minerals, such as potassium, calcium, and iron as well as several antioxidants, including vitamins C and E, β-carotene.

Anyway, if you want to make a broccoli salad that is sure to be a hit, this is the recipe for you. And it can be made ahead. And who doesn’t love that kind of recipe. Especially when entertaining.

Well, today is a down day for me. Not mentally, but after feeding 41 people yesterday, my body is rebelling at even getting up from my desk to grab a drink of water. (My body saying – You want me to walk all the way to the kitchen. Have you no compassion for tired legs and feet? Don’t you remember that the kitchen is your enemy? Etc. etc. ad nauseam!) So, my brain having a mind of its own, I am choosing to surrender and keep my butt firmly planted in my desk chair today.

But I’m still coherent enough to wish peace and love to all.

⅓ c. finely diced red onion

1 c. ice water

1 c. mayonnaise

3 T. apple cider vinegar

1 T. granulated sugar

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

8 c. broccoli florets and peeled stems, cut into bite-sized pieces and thoroughly dried

½ c. dried cranberries

½ c. sunflower seeds

1 c. cooked tiny meaty bacon pieces, plus more for garnish

Combine the red onion* and ice water in a small bowl. Make sure the onion is under water. Let the onion mellow out while you make the dressing and chop the veggies. Then drain the onion and pat dry really well before adding to the bowl with the other ingredients.  

Whisk the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, cranberries, sunflower seeds, bacon pieces, and drained and dried onion. Pour the dressing over all and mix well.

Cover and refrigerate overnight for best results. Remove from fridge about 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with bacon.

*It seems to me that red onions seem to be getting “hotter” than I remember them being in the past. So, letting the cut onion spend some quality time in ice water helps reduce the hot or bite. This is true for other onions and shallots too.  

I love it when the salad and side dish are one and the same. Of course, I can always go completely nuts and serve another veggie or homemade rolls or biscuits. But why? As in this case, I’ve got my side grain or starch dish and veggie (spinach) all in one bowl. And having only two dishes to prepare equates to less work and time spent in the kitchen. Which is becoming more and more appealing the older I get! And another wonderful thing about this salad; it is even better when made ahead. And who doesn’t love that option.  

When a combination dish is as delicious as this modified version of a recipe I found on the borrowedbites.com site, I truly feel like I have won the lottery. So, served with a simply prepared chicken breast, lamb or pork chop, or seasoned ground beef patty, dinner is on the table in no time flat. And this makes for a very nutritious and easy meal to prepare and fancy enough for even the most discerning guests.

So, I suggest you make this salad soon. It is truly delectable.

Well, that is all I have to say today. We have reservations this evening at the Mirkwood Public House in Arlington for dinner and a show. The show being “A Vaudeville Cirque Extravaganza” (New Old Time Chautauqua*), featuring the Flying Karamazov Brothers, the Fighting Instruments of Karma Marching Band/Orchestra, and other vaudevillian luminaries. Should be fun. A little out of our normal entertainment framework. But isn’t that the way we grow. We try something new. We choose a new author, we visit a new land, we meet new people, we expand our horizons by letting go of our comfort zone. Not to the point of making ourselves uncomfortable. But as I have often said, I can put up with almost any type of entertainment, within the bounds of decency, for 2 hours. I may never want to hear or see this kind of show again. But then I at least have real experience with, not just some pre-conceived idea of why I don’t want to attend this type of event. I can at least say – once was enough. However, what I hope to be able to say is – when’s the next show?

Peace and love to all. And happy adventures.

1¾ c. quinoa**

1½ c. chicken broth

1 lg. garlic clove, finely minced

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. lemon zest

3 T. fresh lemon juice, or more to taste

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

1½ c. chopped fresh spinach

¾ – 1 c. crumbled feta

½ c. toasted slivered almonds

Rinse and drain the quinoa thoroughly in cold water. In a medium saucepan, add the quinoa to the chicken stock. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, take off the lid, and set aside.

While the cooked quinoa is off heat, whisk the garlic, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning together in a bowl. Stir into the warm quinoa.

Just before serving, stir in the parsley, spinach, feta cheese, and slivered almonds.

You can serve this wonderful salad right after preparing, but it is even better the next day, after having spent the night in your refrigerator. But if you plan to serve it the next day, don’t add the parsley, spinach, feta cheese, and almonds until just before serving.  

*A Chautauqua began in 1874 by the opening of the Chautauqua Institution. A Chautauqua is a camp that focuses on learning and entertainment, with lectures, concerts, and presentations by religious leaders, philosophers, and specialists in a variety of fields.

**Though technically a seed, quinoa is classified as a whole grain and is a good source of plant protein and fiber. 

Oh my, even trying my very best, keeping my list of favorite desserts to a manageable number posed problems.

1) Should I put some cakes under this category or were they already included under My Favorite Cakes? (Already posted.) Because homemade cakes are also one of my favorite desserts to serve. But it seemed only proper (at the time) that cakes have their own special list. So, bottom line, when looking for a special dessert you should also look at my list of favorite cakes. (Why I didn’t just combine the two lists is something I will never understand. But at the time, it made sense). (Isn’t retrospect wonderful?) Right!!! Anyway, this list contains, except for my list of favorite cakes, cookies, and candy, (all perfectly correct to serve at the end of a meal BTW), some delicious ways to end a meal. And I know, almost all meals that end with dessert are a treat. Because, I don’t know about you, but I don’t usually serve dessert. Well, unless we are feeding company, that is. But just Mr. C, and me – heck no. We don’t need the extra calories. But with guests, all bets are off!

2) Which of all the desserts on my site would I not want to eat again? And the answer to that was – not one bloody one of them! I like them all! So, making choices was difficult. So, even though I tried really hard, I could not exclude any of the desserts you find listed below.   

So, given my logic for this long list, I hope you find this, and my other “favorite” lists helpful.

Well, snow is semi-predicted in our part of the world for later today and for the next couple of days. I say “semi-predicted” because the weather people can’t seem to make up their minds whether we should worry about the weather, or whether the weather is not going to cause us any grief at all. (Don’t you just love the English language. How did any of us ever learn to spell!)

So, on the happy thought of snow possibly falling on our beloved homeland, I’m planning quiche and spinach salad for dinner. But it won’t make itself. So, I better get to it.

As always, peace and love to all.

MY FAVORITE DESSERTS

Affogato

Almond Cake with Strawberry Sauce and Vanilla Bean Paste Whipped Cream

Amaretto Peach Cobbler

Apple Crisp with Spiced Rum and Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes with Espresso Cream Cheese Frosting

Banana Split Trifle with French Vanilla Pudding, Pound Cake, and Chocolate Chunks

Berry Pie Bars

Bourbon Pecan Pie with Bourbon Whipped Cream

Bread Pudding with Spice Rum Sauce

Caramel Apple Bars

Chocolate Mousse with Cointreau

Chocolate Chip, Macadamia Nut, and Toasted Coconut Bars

Cherries Jubilee

Crumble Topped Raspberry Tart in an Oatmeal Crust

Flourless Orange Chocolate Cake

French Apple Pie

Fudgy Brownie, Chocolate Mousse, and Raspberry Trifle

Gooey Lemon Butter Cake

Italian Dream Cake

Lemon Meringue Pie

Lime or Lemon Curd Topped Cheesecake Bars

Mince Tarts or Pie with Bourbon Caramel Whipped Cream

Mincemeat Bars with Brandy Whipped Cream

Mixed Berry Trifle

Nantucket Cranberry Cake

Peach and Blueberry Galette in a Cinnamon Sugar Crust

Peach Kuchen

Peach Pie

Pumpkin Pie Bars with Bourbon-Caramel Whipped Cream

Pumpkin Pie with Bourbon Whipped Cream

Rhubarb Crisp with Caramel Whipped Cream

Rhubarb Pie

Salted Caramel Turtle Brownies

Salted Caramel Upside-Down Apple Cake

Salted Dark Chocolate Fudge-Walnut Brownies

Strawberry Buckle

Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Strawberry Shortcake

Sweet Potato Pie with Bourbon Caramel Whipped Cream

Tart Cherry Topped Cheesecake Bars

Tiramisu

So, now that I have already posted my list of favorite cakes and appetizers, I am thrilled to share with you my list of all-time favorite soup recipes. But you must know, there are very few soups that I don’t like. And every soup recipe on this site is something I would enjoy eating again. But, at some point you must decide which are your favorites. And after much deliberation, I narrowed my choices down to this list. In my opinion, these are the best of the best.  

Now, if you find yourself pondering over which soup on my list to make for either a first course or as an entrée, I have given you a helping hand. M = main dish/entrée, FC = first course.

I hope you find this information helpful. Because sometimes a soup can be very rich. And when consumed as the only dish, even with some type of bread product on the side, a rich soup can become just too much of a good thing.

As I stated above, these soups are my personal favorites. And the soups that over the years, people have told me they also love. So, these are the soups I plan to prepare more often in the years to come.

As I stated in my first post – My Favorite Appetizers, in the future, I plan to spend most of my time in the kitchen preparing dishes that I already know to be delicious. Rather than developing or perfecting (in my humble opinion) someone else’s recipe. Then reposting the recipes or referring to them in my post. So, you will still hear from me, but not with as many brilliant new recipes. (Right, Patti!)

Anyway, I hope you can benefit from this list of my personal favorite soup etc. recipes. Sometimes it’s easier if there aren’t too many options from which to choose. (Like 1 rather than 30 million, 500 thousand recipes for Old Fashioned Chili alone!)

And as always, peace and love to all.

My favorite Soups, Stews, and Chowders: 

Beef Stew – M

Boeuf à la Bourguignonne (Beef Burgundy) – M

Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup – M

Crab Bisque – FC

Curried Pumpkin and Peanut Soup – M or FC

Flageolet Bean and Ham Soup – M

French Onion Soup – M or FC

Ground Beef and Vegetable Soup – M

Gruyère Soup – FC

Hot and Sour Soup – M

Italian Sausage, Cannellini Beans, Pasta, and Kale Minestrone – M

Mulligatawny – M or FC

Mushroom Onion Soup – M or FC

Navy Bean Soup – M

Old Fashioned Chili – M

Potsticker Soup – M or FC

Russian Borscht – M

Savory Ham Hock and Dried Pea Soup – M

Soupa Avgolemono (Greek Egg and Lemon Soup) – FC

Tomato Soup with Lemon Cream – M or FC

Tortilla Soup – M

Turkey Meatball Soup – M

As I have said many times, green salads are my least favorite dish to make. Yet, I love salad, so, I mainly just suck it up, get out my big old butcher knife, and get to work! But when I can make a salad in about half the time it usually takes me, then I am truly happy to whisk up a dressing and chop up fresh veggies. And then, if a benevolent deity is taking pity on me and the salad turns out to be absolutely delicious, I feel like I’ve won the lottery. (Or imagine what it must feel like to win the lottery. Having never played the lottery there is a very slim chance that I will ever win. But you know what I mean!)

Anyway, I made this salad the other evening and we both thought it was wonderful. I mean really, what’s not to like about fresh greens, a balsamic vinegar dressing, blue cheese crumbles, and toasted walnuts?

So, if you too have never found yourself ecstatic over running to the kitchen to spend an hour hacking and slashing and building a dressing, this is the recipe you need. Easy, quick, delicious, and totally satisfying. I need say no more. Just make it!

And as always, peace and love to all.

For the dressing:

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 T. fresh lemon juice

1½ tsp. good balsamic vinegar

¼ tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste

freshly ground black pepper

Shake together in a lidded jar.  

For the salad:

1½-2 c. chopped romaine lettuce  

½ c. chopped baby spinach

½ c. blue cheese crumbles

½ c. chopped toasted walnuts  

Place the lettuce and spinach in a salad bowl. Scatter blue cheese crumbles and the walnuts over the greens. Pour the dressing over all and lightly toss. Serve immediately.